A Different Perspective
by WitandAmbition
Summary: Maybe there's no darkness looming on the horizon, but there's still adventures to be had in a magical place like Hogwarts. Slytherin!James Pyromaniac!Al Artist!Lily. Because having cardboard copies would be pretty boring, wouldn't it?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

 **Note:** The epilogue has always annoyed me. Putting the name _Albus Severus_ aside –

 _("Harry, we forgot to think of names before he was born! Quick, think of something!"_

 _"Um – um…" Harry looks at the Chocolate Frog cards he has in his hands. "Albus Severus!"_

 _The nurse writes it down before they can actually think about it._

 _"…You don't think that'll put him in Slytherin, do you?" Ginny asks with great trepidation._

 _His shoulders slump. "I don't know," Harry says mournfully. "But he'll definitely hate us.")_

Ahem. Yes, putting that aside…

Harry and Ginny basically ignore James' existence. If my parents showed such obvious favoritism, of course I'd act up for their attention. And since this is fanfiction, I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT.

*drops the mic*

*picks up the mic, apologetically hands it back and begs for forgiveness*

(But really, if the Cursed Child can ignore an entire series of books, THEN SO CAN I.)

Without further ado, I give you (heh, that rhymed):

 **A Different Perspective**

From the moment they had entered the train station, Lily had been clinging to her father, pouting because her brothers were leaving her.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.

"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"

Ginny bit back a smile as her daughter reminded her of herself. With all of the commuters staring curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, she knew that smiling would make them look even odder.

"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"

"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny, turning to glare at her oldest son.

"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother, a mischievous quirk of the lips that reminded her of Ron. Of all her children, James looked the least like her. The only thing he seemed to have inherited from her was his mouth. Otherwise, he looked just like Harry, but with his grandfather Arthur's blue eyes. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slytherin."

She narrowed her eyes, and he fell silent. As they approached the barrier, she handed James' trolley off to him. He shot Al a look that said, _'This is how you do it,'_ and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished through the barrier.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Al asked his parents as soon as his brother disappeared.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

"Not every day," he said quickly, "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny. She neglected to mention that was because he and Sirius kept evading detentions she knew they deserved.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Ginny watched as Harry and Al passed through the barrier, and then followed with Lily. She looked around for James, but he seemed to have gone ahead without them.

"Where are they?" asked Al anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly. She squinted, trying to see through the dense vapor. "I think that's them, Al."

Ron and Hermione were waiting with their own two children next to the last carriage. The Potters pushed through the crowd toward them.

"Hi," said Al, sounding immensely relieved.

Rose, who had already changed into her Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confound the examiner."

"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."

Ginny turned her head aside to hide a snicker.

As Ron and Harry lifted Al's trunk and owl onto the train, Ginny and Hermione listened to the children's discussion on their future houses. The two women shared a smile, though Ginny's dissipated when she noticed Draco Malfoy over Hermione's shoulder.

"So long as I'm not in Slytherin with James, I don't care," said Al fervently.

Rose and Hugo were more undecided, but Lily said, "I want to be in Gryffindor."

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron as he and Harry returned, "but no pressure."

"Ron!" both Ginny and Hermione exclaimed.

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Al and Rose looked solemn. Ginny plotted ways to make her brother suffer.

"He doesn't mean it," she and Hermione assured the children, but Ron was no longer paying attention.

"Look who it is," he murmured, nodding toward where Malfoy and Astoria stood with their son.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Despite Harry and Malfoy working together for years, Ron still hadn't gotten over their childhood rivalry.

Malfoy caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again. Scorpius waved at Al, who grinned back at him.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

Noticing Harry's expression, Ginny opened her mouth to tell how Scorpius was nothing like his father in attitude, but then James reappeared.

"Hey!"

He seemed to have already found a carriage with his friends, for his trunk, owl, and trolley were gone. Ginny searched the platform and saw Sirius saying goodbye to his own parents.

"Teddy's back there," James said, pointing wildly back in the direction he had come from. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction. Ginny was confused as to why he sounded so surprised. Teddy and Victoire had been dating for three years now.

"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing -"

"You interrupted them?" said Ginny, exasperated. "You are _so_ like Ron -"

Ron made a sound of protest that was overridden by James continuing.

"- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!"

Since that was expected for a couple, the adults only stared at him, nonplussed.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily, fairly bouncing with excitement. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al-Teddy could have my room!"

Horror momentarily struck Ginny paralyzed as she imagined that possibility.

"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished." He checked his watch. "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

Ginny pulled James into a hug. "Don't forget to give Neville our love!" she told him.

"Mum! I can't give a professor love!" he protested, wiggling out of her hold.

"But you know Neville-"

James rolled his eyes, an action that somehow made him look even more like Harry. "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love…"

He shook his head and aimed a kick at Al.

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the thestrals."

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"

James snickered, and Al scowled in return. Ginny managed to kiss James' cheek before he ran off again. He hugged Harry momentarily and then leaped onto the train. With one last wave, he disappeared up the corridor to find his friends.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Al. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Al still looked disconcerted, and Ginny pressed a reassuring kiss into his messy black hair.

"See you at Christmas."

"Bye, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

The whisper was for his father alone, and Ginny turned away, giving them a moment of privacy. Since Lily and Hugo were still debating, and Ron and Hermione were busy saying goodbye to Rose, no one else heard them.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly, and out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Al smirk. Harry had taken to calling him that when they were in public, just to get a rise out of people. "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say-"

"-then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Harry.

Nearby, a beetle scurried away. Ginny resisted the urge to squash it.

With that reassurance, Al jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them, gaping at the Potter family.

"Why are they all staring?" demanded Al as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students. Despite knowing of their parents' exploits, the children had never seemed impressed by them.

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."

Al, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move, and Ginny watched her son's freckled face, already ablaze with excitement. She hoped that Ron didn't see Scorpius entering the carriage as the train disappeared.

Harry still stood at the end of the platform, watching the train take their sons away.

"He'll be alright," murmured Ginny.

He absentmindedly touched the lightning scar on his forehead. "I know he will."

* * *

 **AN:** The presence of Sirius will be explained at a later point. And yes, James is in Slytherin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

 _"I'm not scared,"_ Al had retorted every time James was mocking him over the summer, but now, standing in line with Scorpius and Rose, he knew that was a lie. Scorpius' name had just been called, and Al had to shove his friend, who was completely frozen, toward the stool.

Neville gave a kind smile and gently set the hat on Scorpius' head. Ignoring the whispers around him, all of which were disparaging the Malfoy name, Al watched as the hat took a long time to decide.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Scorpius hopped off the stool. He hovered for a moment, but then, catching Al's eye, straightened his shoulders and made his way to the Gryffindor table.

The sorting continued, and the relief Al had felt for his friend was quickly replaced by overwhelming fear. He knew his name had been reached when Neville paused, lips twitching.

"Potter, Alex!"

As Al walked forward, he heard whispers rise around him again.

"I thought his name was Albus."

"That's what all of the articles said!"

His last view of the Hall was of James giving him a thumbs up. Then the Sorting Hat fell over his eyes. Al stared at the dark inside of the hat, regretting all of the candy he had eaten on the train.

"Interesting," the hat murmured in his ear. "Another Potter who's friends with a Black."

 _Scorpius is a Malfoy,_ Al thought resentfully. He hated it when people made him out to be just like James.

The hat chuckled. "You might hate it, but you and your brother have quite a bit in common. However, unlike him, I do not think you would do well in Gryffindor. I think it had best be…RAVENCLAW!"

Al was so shocked that he sat completely still. It was only when Neville took the hat off his head and gave him a gentle nudge that he staggered to his feet. Once he had sat down at the Ravenclaw table, he twisted around to look at James. His brother gave an exaggerated wink and accepted a few coins from Sirius.

 _You knew?_ Al mouthed.

Their father had trained all of them in reading lips, and James easily understood him.

 _Yeah,_ he replied. _Gryffindor_ _or Ravenclaw._

Frowning, Al returned his attention to the sorting. Class sizes had gotten bigger starting about fifteen years after the war, and it took a long time to reach Rose's name. He watched despondently as his cousin joined Scorpius in Gryffindor, and the two, who had only just met on the train, exchanged shy, uncertain smiles. Al caught his aunt Hermione eyeing them.

At last the sorting was finished, and Professor Longbottom rolled up the list. As he took his seat at the staff table, Hermione rose to her feet.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" she said. "I only have one thing to announce. We have finally figured out how to allow Wi-Fi here. The password is _Alohomora_."

With a swish of her wand, the word appeared in the air. She waited while several students took out their phones, although many other students, like Scorpius who had no connection to the Muggle world, looked at them in confusion.

"Technology is only allowed inside the dorms and at meals," the headmistress continued. "Otherwise it will be taken up, and you will receive a week's detention." She paused to make sure they understood, and then smiled. "I hope you enjoy your time here. Let the banquet begin!"

"This is awesome," a girl sitting across from Al enthused. "I'll have to tell my parents to owl me my phone. That is the term, right? 'Owl'?"

"Yeah," Al said, nodding. "We mostly use owls to communicate. There's other ways, too – two-way mirrors are like face-timing – but mostly we just write letters."

She grimaced. "Great. My handwriting is awful." She stuck her hand across the table. "Violet Kettell, by the way."

"Al Potter," he returned, shaking her hand.

"Is there a reason everyone keeps on looking at you?" Violet asked.

"Er, yeah, my dad's kind of famous…" He paused and bit his lip. "Are you a Muggleborn?"

Violet smiled shyly and tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. "Yeah. Kind of obvious, isn't it?"

Relaxing, Al returned her smile. Catching Victoire's eye, he gave a wave to his cousin before turning back to Violet.

"Don't worry, you'll still fit in here," he said, and was pleased to see her hesitant smile stretch into an excited grin.

Conversations rippled down the table as they both dug into the sumptuous food. Violet easily began to discuss with the other first years, but Al stayed completely silent. It wasn't until Violet had pointed it out that he noticed how everyone at the table seemed to be shooting him covert glances. He was extremely relieved when Hermione stood again and announced the ending of the feast.

Al stuck close to Violet as they made their way up to the Ravenclaw tower. He groaned quietly when he realized he had forgotten an essential part of being in Ravenclaw.

"I hate riddles," he muttered.

Violet, who was the only one to hear him, frowned at him in confusion, but he only gave her a reassuring smile before sliding after the other first year boys. He hoped that when he woke up in the morning, he was in Gryffindor with Rose and Scorpius like they had planned, and all of this was a bad dream.

 _I wouldn't even mind being in Slytherin with James,_ Al thought as he closed his eyes, drifting into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"I don't know how you managed to do it, but I _will_ tell Uncle Percy…"

James and Sirius barely contained their snickers as they passed Victoire berating Mary and Lucy. It was only the second day of school, and already the twins had gotten in trouble for switching places during their classes. Victoire, who was a prefect and felt it was her place to reprimand them, slumped as she realized that neither of the twins were listening to her. Lucy wore a look of utter boredom, and Mary was scratching the polish off her nails.

"Hey Vic," James said, approaching them. "How'd you catch them?"

"You know Marius Black?" she asked.

Sirius' eyes lit up. Marius was one of his distant cousins, but no one had heard about Marius, or his older sister Baily, until Carina started school. Their father, Scott, hadn't been aware of his own relation to the Black family until his grandfather, for whom Marius was named, had told him after the war. Sirius had been excited to have more family.

"This one," Victoire pointed to Lucy, who was distinguishable only because her choppy hair was down, "failed to look like a love-sick puppy when she saw him."

Lucy rolled her eyes while Mary blushed. "Sorry."

"You mean how you look every time you see Teddy?" Sirius asked.

Victoire turned bright red, making her freckles stand out. "Shut up," she muttered.

"Don't worry, most people have forgotten about Skeeter's article," Mary said consolingly.

"Not anyone in the family," said Victoire. "And stop trying to distract me. Both of you have detention on Saturday."

Dejected, the twins slunk into the Great Hall for lunch. Victoire watched them before turning on James and Sirius.

"And you two… I might never catch you, but I _know_ you're always up to something."

James smiled winningly at her. "Sure you will, Vic. How's Al?"

She relaxed. "Doing alright. I think he's friends with a Muggleborn girl. They're together each time I see him."

He nodded, having also noticed the girl constantly around his brother. At first, James had thought the girl was another fan of Harry Potter who had transferred that adoration onto Al, but then he realized Al would have run far away from her if that were the case.

"Come on," Sirius said, tugging on James' arm. "Potions is in another thirty minutes, and I'm not going in there on an empty stomach."

James let himself be guided to the Slytherin table, where they sat down with some of their friends. Lewis Weasley was somehow related to James, and had reluctantly accepted his fate of James accidentally calling him Louis. Dylan Hawkins was among the few Muggleborns to enter Slytherin. Lastly, Connor Avery was the grandson of a Death Eater, and had been slightly resentful of James until, after a horrendous disaster at their flying lessons, James offered to give him some pointers.

"So what Quidditch teams should we watch out for?" asked Dylan.

James frowned, trying to remember some of his mother's rants from over the summer. Ginny hadn't been the best Chaser on her team, but no one could deny that she could spot real talent. Her pen also had a much better stroke than the garbage Skeeter liked to write.

"The Chudley Cannons are as bad as ever, but the Kenmare Kestrals seem to be making a comeback. I think they signed on a new Keeper."

Dylan nodded, and he and Lewis exchanged a look that let James know the bets had already begun.

"When are Quidditch try outs?" asked Connor. "Because if you don't become the Seeker, I'll be losing a lot of money."

James groaned. "Is _everything_ made into a bet?"

Connor, Lewis, and Dylan all shrugged, not one of them looking ashamed.

"To be fair, we bet on Al's sorting," said Sirius.

"Not helping, Si."

"I try."

Folding his arms atop the table, James lowered his head onto them and decided that the only way to deal with his friends was to ignore them.

"Your hair is in my pudding," Sirius whined, which James thought summed up his life: He was the pudding, and everyone liked to bother him. It was an analogy that made sense in his own mind.

* * *

 **AN:** I wasn't going to continue this story, but then little adorkable Al came to me, and I just had to write him. Let me know if I should keep it up!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

"If you don't stop avoiding me, I'll drop you in the lake with the giant squid."

Startled, Al knocked over his ink bottle, spilling ink across his essay. It spread across the table, and Rose leaped back with a curse as some dripped onto her robes. Pulling out her wand, she cleaned the ink from her robes, and did the same to Al's papers when he looked up at her, making sure to widen his green eyes in supplication.

"I didn't mean to," he muttered after thanking her.

Rose raised one skeptical eyebrow, a maneuver he envied. Neither he nor James had inherited that ability from their mother. "Really? Because otherwise you'd know that we're supposed to meet Hagrid in ten minutes."

Mimicking her curse, Al jumped to gather his notes and books, stuffing them into his bag in no order. He trotted after Rose, who somehow managed to rush from the library without looking like she was in any hurry at all. He blamed her longer legs.

"Come on," she snapped, picking up her stride.

"I'm…shorter…than you," he huffed back.

"And you climb the stairs to the tower every day, so you shouldn't be tired!"

They made it to the ground level just as James and Sirius came up from the dungeons. Carina was already waiting by the doors, her arms crossed and tapping her heel impatiently.

"Oh good, you found him," said James.

"Couldn't you have used the Map?" asked Rose as they hurried from the castle.

He shook his head. "I don't get it until next year. Dad said it was a rite of passage or something."

"I don't know why _I_ have to do this," muttered Carina.

"Sorry," said Sirius. It was only because he had mentioned his older sister to Hagrid last year that she had been dragged into the monthly meetings. Carina often complained that she safely made it two years without seeing a rock cake before Sirius began Hogwarts.

They made it to Hagrid's hut, but when James raised the large knocker and pounded it several times, no one answered the door. Finally, loud barking alerted them to Hagrid coming out of the Forbidden Forest. Silk ran ahead of him and immediately leaped upon Sirius, who roughly shoved the dog away.

"Sorry 'bout that," said Hagrid, latching one hand onto the dog's mangy fur and pulling her back. "She seems ta like ya, Sirius."

Sirius forced a smile. "Yeah, I noticed."

Hagrid then turned to Al. "Ya must be Harry's boy! Ya look just like yer dad."

Al forced his own smile, but before he could form a polite response, James slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Yep, this is my little brother, Alex," he stated proudly.

Hagrid nodded. "Good, good. Well come on in, I just made some rock cakes."

Feeling his brother shudder, Al glanced at him and James whispered, "Don't even _think_ about them or your teeth will crack."

Knowing that James wasn't pulling his leg for once, having heard the same warning from their parents, Al followed the others into Hagrid's large hut. Sirius sat far away from the fire where Silk had curled up. Hagrid almost tripped over her as he pulled off the tea pot.

Al grimaced as a plate of something resembling food was set in front of them. His father had a strange fondness for Hagrid, and even James seemed to have struck up a friendship with the large man, chatting easily with him. Al, however, was more in mind with his aunt Hermione. While Hagrid was very kind, he was also a buffoon. He thought that it was a good thing that the half-giant had been forced into retirement from Care of Magical Creatures.

"What about yer brother, Sirius?" asked Hagrid. "Wasn't he supposed ta start this year too?"

"Regulus is only ten," answered Carina, raising her tea cup to her tightly closed lips.

"Er, yes, I remember now."

Hagrid returned to his conversation with James, who seemed to be rapidly running out of topics to discuss. Sirius reluctantly joined them, and James shot his best friend a look of gratitude.

Al sunk lower into his seat. Both he and Carina never spoke, and Rose only made a few comments when the conversation lagged. He was extremely happy that these meetings would happen only once a month.

* * *

The next day the Ravenclaw first years had their first flying lesson. They had just come from Care of Magical Creatures, where Seamus Finnigan-Thomas had just threatened to sic a hippogriff on all of them if they hurt his husband in any way. For some reason, he had been staring at Al when he said this, and Al got the feeling it wasn't because James did something.

"Scared?" murmured Scorpius, mistaking Al's look of apprehension.

"You wish," Al replied with a smirk.

In actuality, Al's stomach was itching with nervousness. He was not a naturally gifted flyer like James. Any skill he had came from hard work and dedication. When he'd once complained about it to his mother, she admitted to having the same problem, but pointed out she was still good enough to make it into the professional league.

Finally, Dean Finnigan-Thomas arrived with a set of school-issued brooms. He looked around at the gathered students before speaking. This was one of the few combined classes, now that the student body had gotten so much bigger, and Al was happy to be sharing it with Rose and Scorpius.

"Alright, everybody line up by your own broom," Dean instructed. "Hold your hand over it, and say 'Up!'" He demonstrated with his own broom, and it jumped into his hand. "You have to _mean_ it though, or else the broom won't obey."

Al was extremely relieved when his broom responded immediately, and he mounted the stick. Several other students, including Rose and Scorpius, did the same, having grown up in the wizarding world. Al smothered a snicker when he saw Violet, one of only four Muggleborns in this class, growl at her broom in frustration.

When all of the students had succeeded in summoning their brooms, and Dean had shown them what spells helped keep them in place on the brooms, he drew his whistle and the class floated up into the air. For a brief moment, Al considered going higher, but then he caught a sharp look from Dean. In disappointment, he touched back to the ground.

"Well that was disappointing," said Scorpius, an echo of Al's previous thought, as they made their way back to the castle. "I thought we'd be able to do a few laps at least."

"He had to go slow for the others," Rose replied, taking her bushy red hair out of the ponytail she'd put it in for the lesson.

Scorpius kicked at the ground. "Yeah, but I haven't been able to fly in _ages_ ," he muttered petulantly.

"Merlin, you're worse than the Potters," Rose said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he sniffed.

Ignoring both of them, Al shaded his eyes and looked down to the lake, where he had just noticed a familiar dark-skinned boy. "When did Fred get a girlfriend?" Al asked.

Rose turned to follow his gaze. Behind her spectacles, Al saw her brown eyes light up with a mischievousness often associated with James.

"Let's go bother them," she suggested.

"But Scorp and I will burn," Al protested, although he was already following her back down the slope. Both he and Scorpius were extremely pale, unlike Rose, who had inherited a slight tan from her maternal grandfather.

"Not if you apply charms!" she called over her shoulder.

He and Scorpius exchanged helpless looks.

"My mum always put them on us, but I never payed attention," Al admitted.

"Me neither," Scorpius sighed, his shoulders hunching. "I don't suppose we can ask Rose?"

"Never," Al swore.

* * *

 **AN:** I'm trying really hard to make the characters different from both each other and their parents. The thoughts on Hagrid are supposed to be a representation of how people treat the disabled. Harry sees no difference between them. James sees a difference, but tries to overcome it and treat them the same. Al, however, is not so understanding.

 **AN2:** Although I personally never saw evidence of Dean and Seamus being a couple, I like the idea of it, and I also needed more representation, since the only other LGBTQ couple I have planned will mostly likely occur off-screen. If you have a problem with 'queerness', I assure you that it will be barely mentioned.

 **AN3:** I honestly never thought of Hermione being black until I saw the cast for the Cursed Child. Then I thought it would make a lot of sense if she were a half-black. I also like the idea of her father overcoming racial issues to become a dentist. Update: Hermione is now only a quarter-black, just because I have a hard time not imagining her as Emma Watson, and I like the parents shown for _Deathly Hallows Part 1_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

Al had been dreading the day when his father gave one of his famous lectures. As all of the students filed into the Great Hall, which had been set up with seats facing the dais at the front of the room, he made sure to find a chair near the back. He spotted James in the next row and grimaced at him. James smiled and shrugged helplessly.

Violet, who had followed Al, said, "Wow, is that your brother? He looks a lot like you. I mean, like you-could-be-identical-twins a lot."

"Yeah," Al muttered, cursing the Potter genes that made all of them look so much alike. Even Lily hadn't managed to completely escape it. Her dark red hair was so untamable that she usually kept it pulled back, and she too had been cursed with horrible vision.

"James doesn't have freckles, though," said Scorpius cheerfully.

Al glared at him. His best friend knew how much Al hated his own freckles. Freckles looked good on girls, not boys.

Violet hummed thoughtfully, not taking her gaze off of James.

Beside him, he noticed Rose giving Violet a calculating look, and frowned at his cousin. She only smiled at him in return and faced the front, where her mother was stepping up to the podium. Al's father stood behind Hermione.

"So _that's_ the famous Harry Potter," said Violet, shooting Al a look of amusement.

He grimaced. They had recently learned about the Final Battle in History of Magic. Ever since then, Al had been receiving more surreptitious looks. At least Violet, who hadn't been affected by the war, hadn't become enamored by him. His parents had done a good job of keeping him and his siblings from the press, but Al had enough experience to know that people wanted to know everything about the Potter family.

Many people had taken out their phones and were trying to get a picture of Harry. From their discontent muttering, none of them were succeeding. Noticing Harry's smirk, Al realized his father must be employing the variation of the Notice-Me-Not charm that Draco Malfoy had created. It blocked all cameras, even the Muggle kind, from capturing his picture.

After Hermione's introduction, Harry cleared his throat, and the entire room fell silent, waiting with bated breath for his first words. Al and James exchanged eye rolls.

"A wise man once said to me," Harry began, and most of the student body leaned forward in their seats, "that the people best suited to power are those who never sought it. That people who take up the mantle of leadership can sometimes find that they wear it well. He said that I'm one of those people, but since my daughter pointed out I have gray hairs this morning, I'm not too sure of that."

He paused, smiling a little when a few people chuckled.

"The thing is," he continued, "you'll never know how you'll react until you're in that specific situation. I was no older than some of you when I suddenly found myself the leader of a war. And in all honesty, I had no idea what I was doing. I only had the help of a few clues from a cryptic old man – the same one who said I would make a good leader one day – and my friends. For the most part, I had no adult guidance."

Harry became somber.

"Remus Lupin, of whom I'm sure most of you have heard of, was my father's best friend. Despite that, he was so absorbed by his own self-pity that I didn't even meet him until I was thirteen. Molly Weasley, my wife's mother, was well-meaning but didn't want me to have any training, even though she knew I would have to face Voldemort. Most of the adults in my life were like that, and without my friends, I don't think I would have gotten anywhere.

"I'm not saying you can't trust adults. All of them were doing this to protect me, although I didn't understand it back then. What I mean is that friends can change your life. If I'd never known my best friend Ron Weasley, I would never have met my wife, and I wouldn't have four wonderful, quirky, entirely unique children."

He paused again, and added with a smile, "Really, they're all weird. One wants a pet basilisk, one wants a pet dragon, and one wants a pet Thestral… As for Teddy, well, he's somehow the sanest despite being a Metamorphmagus."

Al sunk lower into his chair, blushing bright red. He heard James let out a quiet groan.

"And I'm sure they're all embarrassed right now," Harry said, looking much too pleased with himself in Al's opinion. "So I'll conclude with this: Find someone worth – emphasis on _worth_ – your friendship, and hold onto them for the rest of your life. Someday, they might be that blessing you need."

Everyone rose to their feet and the hall nearly exploded with applause. Somehow, Harry had managed to ensnare them without even discussing his experiences with Voldemort. That, Al felt, was the best skill his father had.

* * *

Afterward, Al and James met their father for lunch. Rather than eating in the hall with everyone else, Harry had sequestered himself away in the kitchens. Al greatly appreciated this as he sat across from his father.

"So how's your first month been?" Harry asked Al, propping his chin on his fist and ignoring the platter of food in front of him.

"Everyone keeps asking what my real name is," Al grumbled, poking at his own meal.

"You haven't told them you were named after a drunkard?" James teased.

Al aimed a kick at him. James didn't react, but Harry blinked. Al ducked his head, realizing he had kicked his father instead of his brother. How he managed that when James was right next to him, he couldn't figure out.

"It wasn't our best decision," Harry admitted, "but it's still a million times better than Albus Severus. I'm glad every day that your mother lost that bet."

"You _bet_ on my name?" said Al incredulously.

Harry shrugged shamelessly. "It was George's idea."

Al silently cursed every member of his family. It was an extensive amount, since his family was so large.

"Besides, your great-uncle Alexius was a good man," Harry went on, his eyes shining with reminiscence. "If he hadn't accosted me at Bill's wedding, I never would have realized how much I loved the Weasley family."

"What about naming me after a Pygmy Puff?" demanded Al.

"Arnold is an anagram of Ronald," Harry reasoned.

Groaning, Al shoved his food to the side and let his head fall to the table. It was a dramatic act he had learned from James.

* * *

 **AN:** I don't know if anyone actually likes this story and wants me to continue, since no one is giving me reviews. I'm feeling very unloved right now.

 **AN2:** I'm not trying to bash any characters. I just wanted to show that Harry has grown up, and his perspective has changed with age.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

Fred hadn't enjoyed them interrupting his date, but after making his younger cousins and Scorpius swear to secrecy, they quickly found out everything about Maddie Latimer. She was a fellow Hufflepuff, and she had the prettiest blue eyes, and her hair smelled like strawberries…

"Fred, really, I don't care," Rose groaned, covering her ears.

"We're trying to study," Violet added. "So if you'd kindly be quiet, that'd be nice."

Fred grinned at the Muggleborn. "I like your girlfriend, Al. She's got a quick wit about her."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Al cried.

Violet wrinkled her nose. "Ew, no. I don't like him like that."

Al didn't know whether to be offended, but since he echoed the sentiment, he nodded in agreement. He didn't like the way that Fred was amused by this, but thankfully his cousin didn't press the issue.

"So what are you ickle firsties studying? Maybe I can help," Fred said instead, leaning forward to get a look at Rose's textbook.

"Transfiguration. We're supposed to go into the scientific basis of it," Scorpius answered, flopping back into his seat. "I don't even know what science _is_."

The other four stared at him, and then looked at each other.

"Pureblood," Al explained to Violet.

She frowned. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Rose immediately launched into lecture mode. "Back during the war, the Death Eaters were known for valuing pure blood. That means, supposedly, that the family has no Muggle ancestry. These days, however, most people know that almost every family has some Muggle ancestors. Even Scorpius' family admits to it now, and they're nearly as ancient as the Black family…"

"Rambling, Rosie," Al said.

"Right. So anyway, those families tried to have nothing to do with the Muggle world. Scorpius, though we love him dearly, grew up like that. He'd never seen a cell phone before this year."

Violet nodded slowly. "Okay. So you're all purebloods?"

Al shook his head. "Rose's mum is Muggleborn, so she's a half-blood. Fred and I both have a half-blood parent, so we're still considered half-bloods. If Fred and I married purebloods, then our children would be purebloods. But if Fred married Maddie, then his children would be half-bloods, since she's Muggleborn. The same thing would happen if, say, Rose and Scorpius had children."

"Thanks," Scorpius said drily while Rose scooted her chair away from him.

"I didn't say I'd _marry_ Mads," Fred protested.

"No one said you did," Violet assured him. She had quickly learned that an embarrassed Weasley was not a good person to be around. "It was just an example."

"But do you get it now?" Al asked her.

"I think so," she replied. "I just didn't know the wizarding world was so prejudiced."

"It's not so bad now," said Rose, beginning to relax again. "People like my mum can get any job they want. I mean, she's Headmistress if that says anything."

Violet gaped at her. "Your mum is Headmistress _Granger_? But then…" she trailed off and looked down at the desk. "I'm sorry. I didn't know your parents were divorced."

"What? No, my parents are still married," Rose laughed. "Mum just uses her maiden name professionally because there's so many Weasley women, and everyone knew her by that during the war. But, well, in her personal life I suppose you could call it, she took my dad's last name."

"Oh…" Violet chewed her lip, and they all waited expectantly for her to find her thoughts. "So your mum is headmistress, and Al's dad is the Head of the DMLE. Anything else I should know about your families?"

"Ever been to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Fred asked mischievously.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Uncle Percy is the Minister for Magic," Rose added.

Visibly shaken by this, Violet turned to Scorpius. "What about _your_ family?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Dad is an Unspeakable, so he doesn't really talk about his work, and Mum writes for the _Daily Prophet_ ," he said quietly. "Grandfather…" He looked to Al for help.

"Mr. Malfoy is a twat, and no one likes him," Al said bluntly. "Mrs. Malfoy is pretty nice, though."

Violet, perhaps sensing that she might upset Scorpius, turned the conversation back to their assignment. Fred, who was a fifth year, was able to put them on the right path to completing it. He remembered some of the books he'd used for research, and Al went to help him find them. Al regretted this choice almost immediately.

"So… Violet," Fred said with faux casualness.

Al scowled at the row of books in front of him. "What about her?"

Fred shrugged. "Nothing. Just that your dad married a woman with red hair. It'd make sense if you found a girl with a flower name. Perfectly logical sense. Such a thing has never happened before in the wizarding world."

He selected a book and added it to the growing pile Al held. When Al nearly staggered under the weight, Fred put a feather-light charm on the books. None of them were from the Restricted Section, so magic could be used around them. Al wished he had thought of the spell sooner.

"I hate you, you know," Al told him.

"I'll add you to the list," Fred said easily.

* * *

Sirius groaned and rolled over in bed, shoving his head further under his pillow. Silencing charms had been banned in the dormitories, and he resented this every day he was forced to wake up to Connor singing in the shower.

"It could be worse," James mumbled.

Sirius moved his head just enough to see his best friend sitting up in bed, searching blindly for his glasses.

"How could anything be worse than _this_?" he demanded. "And just summon your glasses. I know you can do wandless magic."

"Oh yeah."

James did just that and clumsily snatched his spectacles out of the air. If Sirius didn't know how good of a Seeker James was when his vision was fixed, then he would be worried for their Quidditch team's prospects.

 _Hopefully no one will smash his glasses,_ Sirius thought fervently.

"It could be Teddy," James continued once he could see again. "If Victoire were to ever find out about his singing ability – or lack thereof, I've heard frogs who could sing better – then she'd probably dump him in a heartbeat."

Sirius kicked off his blankets, finally accepting that he would not be returning to sleep. "That's not saying much, since this is Hogwarts," he commented.

James threw a tie at him. They both watched as it fluttered to the floor halfway between them.

"I'm not wearing that today," said James.

"Nobody but Professor Kruse cares, and we don't have her today," Sirius responded, perking up at the thought.

Bolstered by this, they finished getting dressed. James gave Sirius some earplugs from the Weasleys' shop, and Sirius was able to enter the bathroom without having his eardrums shattered by Connor's deafening wails. It was with great sadness that Sirius removed them for their classes.

"How much do these cost?" he asked, looking at the innocuous pair of earplugs in his hand. They worked much better than the Muggle type he had tried previously.

James' eyes gleamed at the prospect of a deal. "Do we have a buyer?" he asked with a sly smile.

"I'll buy all of them and shove them in Connor's mouth," said Sirius.

James laughed. "I'd bet he'd just figure out another way to torture us. Some things just can't be cured, not even by magic." He tapped Sirius' hand. "But you can have those for free. Just don't lose them."

Grinning, Sirius shoved the earplugs into his pocket. He might not be allowed to use Pepper-Up potions, but at least he had a method to ensure more sleep.

* * *

 **AN:** If you haven't gotten it already, this will mostly be a slice-of-life story.

 **AN2:** REVIEW! Pwease? *widens eyes for dramatic effect*

 **AN3:** I mostly update when I'm procrastinating... No promises that it will be this fast every time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

Halloween was a special time of year for the Hogwarts students. Not only was it a time where spirits were closer to their plane of the world, but the students also got the day off in memory of James and Lily Potter's sacrifices. It was one of the holidays that had been instated after the war, the other being the day of the Final Battle. Most people looked forward to it. Mary was not one of them.

"Happy birthday," Lucy said, tossing Mary a package when she finally pulled herself out of bed. "Grandma sent that."

"Thanks," Mary muttered. She began to open the package, already aware it would be more sweets, and belatedly added, "Uh, you too."

Lucy smirked and leaned back against the headboard. They were the only two people currently in their room. Most of the Gryffindors were outside enjoying the weather. Lucy informed Mary that Roxanne had stopped by earlier, but hadn't wanted to wake Mary up on her birthday. Mary made a mental note to thank her cousin while she nibbled on a piece of chocolate, watching out the window as an impromptu Quidditch game picked up. Normally she would have joined them, itching for a chance to hit some bludgers, but today she didn't want to even leave her room.

"You can go, you know," Mary said, noticing her sister also watching the match. Lucy was the more outgoing of them. People often assumed that meant she was the older twin, and were shocked to find out that Mary was actually two minutes older.

 _Not that two minutes really matters,_ Mary thought. It wasn't an actual difference, unlike the fifteen months between James and Alex.

Lucy shook her head. "Nah, I'm good here." She tilted her head. "Do you want to find Jamie and Al? They aren't playing, either."

"How do you know?" Mary asked curiously.

With another smirk, Lucy tapped her glasses. "Binocular spell."

Mary applied the spell to her own spectacles. It was a bit dizzying as she tried to focus, but eventually her eyes adjusted and she was able to see the Quidditch players clearly. She spotted Roxanne among them, and Fred cheering for his sister, but neither of the Potter brothers were at the pitch.

"Maybe they went home," Lucy suggested, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "You know how it is for them."

Immediately Mary felt guilty. Here she was acting despondent because people forgot about her birthday, while James and Alex had to deal with the entire school celebrating their grandparents' deaths. Victoire was the only one to understand her conflicting feelings, but unlike Mary, she had learned to separate the two events.

 _Halloween is just an awful time,_ Mary decided as she settled in for a card game with Lucy.

* * *

Hermione looked up as the Floo alarm alerted her to an incoming arrival. She was fairly certain who was visiting, and not only because very few people had access to her Floo.

"Aunt Hermione!"

Lily bounded forward and wrapped her arms around Hermione's middle. Hermione smiled fondly, brushing back Lily's auburn hair, which had come undone from its normal braid, as Harry and Ginny followed their daughter out of the fireplace.

"Hello Hermione," Ginny began, but stopped when she saw James and Al in the seats across from Hermione's desk. She managed a small smile. "And boys," she added softly.

They stood to receive her hugs. Ginny, noticing Harry hovering, pulled him into the huddle, and Lily detached herself from Hermione to join them.

Hermione went to give them some time alone, but not before she saw James pull back and ask, "Where's Teddy?"

"He's at work," Harry answered in a rather neutral tone. "Trainees can't get the day off, unfortunately."

Her last glimpse of the family was of the children looking sad not to see their oldest brother before wiping their expressions. She closed the door to her office, knowing that none of them would disrupt her things. James, for all his mischievousness, knew his bounds, and still had yet to pull any of the pranks that McGonagall feared when she handed the office over to Hermione seven years ago.

In the privacy of her chambers, which were connected to the Headmistress office, Hermione smiled. She knew that Harry's parents would be proud of the family he had developed. He had raised four children, all of whom were so considerate of their father on this difficult day, and was the godfather to even more. There was nothing more that Harry could want out of life, and Hermione couldn't be happier for the boy who had once saved her from a troll.

* * *

 **AN:** I know, I know, it was even shorter than usual. But I figured none of you wanted to read so much grief.

 **AN2:** Hermione worked in the Ministry until 2008 (remember, in my story, this is 2016). Then she became the Muggle Studies teacher for two years until she became the Headmistress. McGonagall used Hermione's work in the DA as an excuse when Hermione said she'd never taught.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

 **Note:** In case it offends people, there will be mention of a trans-type couple. That's why I decided to split this chapter from the previous one.

* * *

Harry wasn't surprised when he was kidnapped from his office. As soon as his limbs had been frozen and the blindfold placed over his eyes, he heard a familiar voice mutter the code word for a portkey before he felt the unmistakable whoosh in his stomach that meant he was squeezing through time and space.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Harry said once his feet touched solid ground. "I would have come willingly."

"Sure you would," Draco retorted, removing the petrification and pushing Harry forward.

Harry staggered for a moment, and outstretched his arms for balance. His hand brushed something that felt like a tapestry. Parts of it were charred, and Harry identified it as the one Al had burned.

"Why are Blacks so weird?" complained Harry.

"You're calling _us_ weird?" Aries said incredulously from ahead of him. "Have you taken a look at your own family?"

"Your sister became a man and impregnated her partner _three times_ ," Harry pointed out.

Draco reached up to remove the blindfold just in time for Harry to see Aries shuddering. With a note of pride in himself, Harry realized they were in the Black Mansion's study, just as he'd thought. His skills as an Auror still remained.

"I try not to think about it," Aries admitted.

At ease in someone else's house, Draco went to the locked liquor cabinet. "Does Teddy know a Metamorphmagus can do that?" he asked.

"No," Harry said, accepting a glass of firewhiskey. "At least, he hasn't asked any of us about it. And until he does, I'm not going to bring it up."

Aries raised his own glass, indicating this was a good decision. Remembering all of the awkward questions Regulus asked him, even after Aries and Amanda explained it to their children, Harry knew he was right. That experience alone had been scarring.

"How is Teddy?" asked Draco.

"Good. Keeps complaining about the instructors running him ragged, but that's to be expected. The other day he was able to beat Bowers in a duel."

Aries eyed him. "You're spying on him."

"Of course I am," Harry said without any shame.

Draco snorted into his glass. "Overprotective," he muttered into his glass, but Harry heard it clearly.

"I think I have a right when I was just kidnapped myself," Harry said hotly.

"That was for your own good," Draco demurred. "Otherwise you would be drinking alone, and we can't have that, now can we?"

"Hear, hear," Aries put in.

Harry scowled at both of them. At least Ron would get drunk with him and mourn all of the dead, but Harry knew that Aries and Draco would rather just watch him become a sobbing mess. The Black family didn't know how to handle emotions, and so Harry, who had been bluntly informed that he was an experiment on how to deal with other people, was now their favorite form of entertainment. Even Andromeda had asked for their notes, and although Narcissa had given a sniff of disdain, Harry had caught her reading them too.

"What's it going to be this time?" he sighed in resignation.

Both of them took the most comfortable seats in the room, and Harry made his way to the chaise lounge that had been long ago designated as belonging to him. He picked up the small money bag placed there and cradled it to his chest as he lay down. Draco set up a notepad while Aries consulted a list of topics.

"It's been only four days since your parents' death anniversary, which happens to coincide with Halloween," Aries began. "How does this make you feel?"

"Well," Harry said thoughtfully, "I lose my faith in humanity every time I'm faced with people like you."

He received twin glares for this remark, and grinned, victorious. The smile faded, however, when he realized that nobody would be coming to rescue him. The one time that Amanda had walked in on them, she had only sighed, given her husband a look of fondness, and left again. Harry's coworkers had stopped being concerned when he disappeared from the office, so that he worried what would happen if he actually were kidnapped. Ginny only shook her head pityingly each time he returned home.

"There's _nobody_ like us," Draco stated.

Harry nodded somberly. "No, of course not. You're entirely unique unto yourselves. In fact, you're so unique that I fear you're all alike."

"Make a note that alcohol brings out the Weasley influence," Aries told Draco before glancing at his list again.

* * *

 **AN:** I decided to raise the rating… People might get offended at the trans scenario above. But I swear that it's _barely_ going to be mentioned.

 **AN2:** Sorry it's another short one, but that's because I have to rant. Someone asked why I hate the epilogue so much. I thought I made that clear, but they wanted a _personal_ reason. **Read if you so choose.**

When I was thirteen, I got home just in time to stop my brother from killing himself. Fast forward a few months, and we're getting him the help he needs, but I'm left home alone most of the time. But that's okay, I understand.

Then I read the epilogue. And Harry barely interacts with James, who according to Rowling, is only _thirteen_. And all Ginny does is reprimand him. But it's only a few pages, and maybe there'll be a sequel that'll be better.

Then the Cursed Child comes out. I read the first page, put it back on the shelf, and leave the store. Finally a few months later a friend convinces me to give it a chance, because after years of reading plays apparently I still can't understand them. I agree and read enough to give someone a good summary with several details. And I remember my dad, who struggles to understand mental illness and got into so many fights with my brother and yes, he also tried to separate my brother from his friends, but not once did he say, _"I wish you weren't my son."_

That. That is why I hate it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

"Are you ready for your Birthmas?" Teddy asked as James' knight took out one of his pawns.

James rolled his eyes. Since he and Sirius were both born right before Christmas, the Black and Potter families usually held a joint birthday and Christmas party for them. He wasn't sure who had coined the term for it, other than it certainly being someone in his own family.

"Sirius is hiding somewhere," he said morosely.

Teddy let his gaze drift over to Carina and Regulus on the other couch. Regulus was curled up asleep against her while she read.

"If they don't start soon, everybody else will fall asleep too," Teddy commented.

James pointed out their younger brother, who was snoozing with the Potter's dog, Snuffles, in front of the fireplace. Lily had insisted that the dog was a member of their family and had to attend the party, but James had yet to see Snuffles move from his warm position next to Al.

"They might have the right idea," Teddy mused.

He checked his watch. It was the same one that had belonged to his father, Remus. James found it a bit odd to wear it, since it must have been taken off of Remus' dead body, but he understood that Teddy liked to have a reminder of his father. If it weren't for his green eyes, Teddy wouldn't have looked anything like Remus. His base features were entirely reminiscent of his mother, Tonks.

"Checkmate," James announced.

Teddy glanced at the board expectantly. They both watched as James' queen tackled the king and began beating him into pieces.

"Girls are scary," Teddy muttered just as his girlfriend entered the room.

Victoire leaned over his back and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "What was that, dear?" she crooned into his ear.

"Girls are scarily awesome," he amended. At her raised eyebrow, he added hesitantly, "But scary, too?"

James snorted then shrank under his cousin's glare. Lowering his head, he watched the broken chess pieces crawl toward each other and put themselves back together. He tuned out Teddy and Victoire until Carina cut across them.

"There are children in here," she said testily.

Glancing up again, James noted bemusedly that Teddy and Victoire were both a flaming red. As they muttered fumbling apologies, he wondered what they had been talking about. He didn't get the chance to press them about it, though, as Sirius was guided back into the room by Amanda.

"Everybody up," she ordered. "We're going to cut the cakes."

Carina nudged Regulus awake, and the bespectacled boy sat up, rubbing at his eyes. Al was less willing, and only rolled over when James kicked him in the side.

"Come on, Al, it's my birthday."

"Your birthday was two days ago," Al mumbled, pressing his face into Snuffles' fur.

Teddy bent down, grabbed Al's shoulders, and forced the small boy into an upright position. Al immediately slumped back over. The routine was repeated twice more until Ginny and Harry entered the room holding two cakes. At seeing the flaming candles, Al was suddenly much more awake, his eyes fixed on the tiny points of fire.

Trailing in after their parents, Lily slunk to James' side and began singing in a horribly off-key voice. James and Sirius shared looks of pain as their families joined in. Finally it came to an end and James eagerly blew out his candles, ignoring how Al's eyes dimmed in disappointment.

Afterward they opened their presents before going up to bed. James pretended to be excited to get new socks which he shoved into the back of his drawer. They weren't even the flashy kind that George and Ron sold at the store.

The next morning James, Alex, and Lily quietly snuck out of their rooms and up to the third floor where Teddy met up with them. As the oldest, he had the large guest room further down from their parents' room. It had always been his bedroom when he visited, but after Andromeda died six years previously, it had permanently been designated Teddy's room unless they had more visitors. They waited in there, nibbling on some sweets Teddy had hid in his room and playing Exploding Snap.

About an hour later, an alarm roused them from their game. It was set to alert them to anyone coming out of the master bedroom. As Teddy cancelled it, they heard their father's voice quietly telling their mother to go back to sleep. Then there was a quiet knock on Teddy's bedroom door.

"It's me," Harry murmured from the other side.

Teddy cautiously opened the door. Despite Harry's assurance, he still checked the hall for anyone else before letting Harry inside. Harry rolled his eyes as he entered.

"Everybody ready?" their father asked.

Each of them pulled out their supplies and nodded. James exchanged a look of fond exasperation with Harry when Al gleefully displayed his fireworks. Every Christmas there had to be at least one explosion, or Al wasn't satisfied.

Ginny had been the one to start the prank war with George after Fred died. It had been her way of cheering him up. Later, it became tradition to stage their largest pranks when all of the families gathered at the Burrow for Christmas. When she was consigned to bed rest with Lily, Harry had taken up the mantle with James and Al's help. Lily had joined them when she was older, and later Teddy, who in the same manner as George, needed to be shaken from his grief after Andromeda passed away.

Once they had gone over their plans again and Ginny had been dragged out of bed, the family took the Floo to the Burrow. Ron was there to catch James as he fell out of the fireplace.

"Just like your father," Ron said, shaking his head, but he was smiling.

James straightened himself up. "Thanks, Uncle Ron," he said, ignoring his siblings' snickers and dodging his mother's hand, which was reaching out to ruffle his hair. Then he froze in a spell from Ron, and Ginny rubbed his head almost vigorously.

"There, now you look like Teddy," she said, satisfied.

Able to move again, James looked at the mirror that had been conveniently placed nearby him. His hair was now a bright, shocking shade of pink.

"My hair!" he wailed.

"Traitor," Harry cried, leaping back.

Al released some firecrackers, and the war began.

* * *

 **AN:** To the reviewer Mags: Funny that you say that. I feel the same way. In case it wasn't clear in this, Teddy was raised by Andromeda until he was twelve. She got to see him sorted into Hufflepuff like Tonks. He then lived with Harry and Ginny until recently, when he graduated from Hogwarts. And about the Black family, there will be an explanation for them!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

May second was a sunlit day with a cool breeze blowing over the grounds and nary a cloud in the sky. Many families flocked to the school for the annual memorial in honor of those who had fallen both during the war and at the Final Battle. Sirius, who had no overt connection to the war, wandered around looking for entertainment and trying to avoid the grieving and somber families. Remembering that Dylan had said he would studying in the library, Sirius had just begun to head there when he ran into a boy too young to be a Hogwarts student.

"I'm Hugo Weasley," the boy announced. "Can I look at your brain?"

Sirius gave a slow blink. "Eh?"

"Well, I never had anything to measure brainwaves, but now that we're at Hogwarts I can use magic and I just found a spell in a nursing book, and I've always wondered if the 'Black Madness' is real, so I was hoping you'd let me watch you sleep?"

Hugo said all of this very fast and almost in one breath, so it took Sirius a moment to decipher his words. He came to the conclusion that James' cousin was the mad one.

"Um, no," Sirius said, backing away. "Sorry. Um…"

"It won't hurt!" Hugo promised, waving his wand for emphasis. Sparks shot out of the end, which did not reassure Sirius at all.

"You're not old enough to have a wand," Sirius said, although his voice lifted in a questioning tone at the end.

"Oh, this is my dad's wand. I switched it for a fake one," Hugo confided.

"Okay… Uh, I think my grandmother is looking for me."

Judging himself to be a safe distance away, Sirius turned and walked in the opposite direction from the library. His grandmother was visiting the castle, and although she hadn't mentioned any obligation for Carina and Sirius to meet her, he decided he was bored enough to seek her out. He found her having commandeered an empty classroom.

"Did you steal potions ingredients?" he asked curiously.

Claire Black lifted her glasses, which had fogged up from the fumes, and squinted toward him. "Sirius, dear? Is that you?"

"Yes, Grandma." He closed the door behind him and padded toward her. "What are you making?"

She glanced at the bubbling cauldron. "A Calming Drought for Mr. Potter. You know how he gets nervous before speeches."

Sirius had not been aware of that. James was always confident anytime he spoke to an audience, and Sirius had thought Harry would be the same.

"Here, let me do that," Sirius said, taking the stirring rod from her. His grandmother might have been on the younger side by wizarding standards, being only seventy-two, but she had been weak ever since giving birth to his father. Sometimes Sirius heard his father and his aunt Elara murmuring to each other about how long Claire had left to live.

"You're a good boy," she praised, moving out of the way for him.

His lips twitched. "I'm a Black," he pointed out.

"And you're rewriting the name," said Claire. "I was very worried, when you said you wanted to be in Slytherin, but now I'm proud of you. You've done well, Sirius."

He ducked his head, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. Claire smiled and wrapped an arm around him, leaning in to give some quiet advice on how to best make the potion.

* * *

Halfway through the service, Teddy's hand found Victoire's own. She squeezed his hand gently and gave him a soft smile that he didn't notice. Victoire wasn't hurt by it, though. This was a trying day for him, especially after losing his grandmother. All he had left was Harry's family, and although he considered Harry and Ginny his parents, it was very different to say "Harry" and "Aunt Ginny" than "Dad" and "Mum".

"Come on, let's go to the kitchens," she whispered into his ear.

At last Teddy turned to look at her. He searched her eyes for something, and must have found it, for he gave a slow nod and rose to follow her out of the large tent.

The castle was almost empty, with most people attending the memorial, and they reached the kitchens unimpeded. Victoire pretended not to see him quietly asking one of the house-elves to bake her a birthday cake. She fingered the necklace he had just given her, making him smile when he noticed the movement.

In record time, a house-elf was setting a small cake in front of them. It was done so fast that Victoire thought the elves must have used magic, but when she took a bite, it was almost as good as the cakes Harry made.

"Thank you, Bluebell," Teddy told the elf. "This is very good."

The elf beamed and went off before Victoire could say the same.

They ate in companionable silence until Teddy commented, "I like that you actually eat-"

"If you finish that with 'unlike most girls,' I will skewer you with this fork," Victoire said idly.

He let out a whimper that she thought might have been real and slumped in his seat like a chastised child. Taking pity on him, Victoire let him have the last bite of her own cake. _That is the mark of true love,_ she thought, watching Teddy savor the chocolate.

* * *

 **AN:** I came up with the elf's name because I'm craving ice cream but I don't have any. It's a sad day.

 **AN2:** Also I must warn you that I won't be updating for a few days, hence why I posted this so quickly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

The downside of being in Ravenclaw was that everyone thought Carina was smart. As the end of year exams came closer, many people came to her asking her for help. She turned all of them away.

Carina was naturally gifted. Like her peers, she valued knowledge, but she collected it rather than searching for it. She hardly ever studied, and she had no idea how to teach other people something that she easily grasped.

She was outside, glancing over her notes for History, which was the only class without a practical to help her understand the concepts, when a splash made her look up. Her brother and his friends seemed to be taking a study break by jumping into the lake. They had split into two teams and were wrestling in the water with the fifth person refereeing.

"Is that my cousin?"

Carina turned her head slightly to see Mary Weasley standing next to her bench.

"Yes," Carina murmured, going back to her notes in a clear signal that she didn't want to be bothered. Mary and Lucy were the same age as her, and Lucy had been among the people asking Carina for study tips. Though, to her credit, Lucy was also one of only a few who accepted it when Carina refused.

Oblivious, Mary moved Carina's book to the side and sat down. "I wanted to ask you something," she began.

Carina slowly lifted her gaze, instantly wary.

"Do you know anything I could get for Marius' birthday? It's next week, and I have no idea what he might like. I mean, we've only been dating for about a month…"

That hadn't been what she was expecting. She stared at Mary, who had begun to shift uncomfortably under Carina's eyes. Remembering her mother's advice to gaze at people instead of staring, Carina tried that, and almost smirked when Mary minutely relaxed.

"We've never been close to their family," said Carina. "I have no idea what he likes, but Sirius and Regulus seem okay with me giving them gift cards to the Quidditch store each year."

"Marius doesn't play Quidditch."

"Then get a card to something else."

Mary huffed. "I don't want it to be _generic_." She paused. "What do _you_ like? He's a Ravenclaw too."

"Because we're all the same," Carina said blandly.

Mary opened her mouth then stopped short. She pushed up from the bench and, after glancing at Carina with a pinched expression, stalked away. Carina only watched her for a moment before returning to studying. It wasn't her fault if other people couldn't understand her humor.

 _What did she expect, anyway?_ Carina thought bitterly, glaring unseeing at her notes.

"Are you trying to glare that book into submission? Because I'm pretty sure that doesn't work on inanimate objects."

Sighing heavily, Carina looked up at her latest annoyance. Seeing that it was her aunt, she adjusted her expression into something that looked a bit more welcoming.

"It's a world of magic," she pointed out. "My mirror likes to insult me about my hair."

Elara reached out to finger one of Carina's curly strands. "It's because you have your grandfather's hair," she said almost wistfully.

Carina scowled. "It makes me look like Bellatrix," she muttered.

"Who was renowned for her beauty, if not her sanity." Elara took the seat recently abandoned by Mary and wrapped a comforting arm around Carina. Instinctively, Carina leaned into her warmth. "You're nothing like her, Cari. Just because it's hard for you to get along with other people doesn't mean you're a psychopath. You're just…"

"Antisocial?" suggested Carina, watching as Sirius pushed James into the water. Both of the boys were laughing without a care.

"Misunderstood," Elara corrected.

"That's what they say about serial killers, too."

Elara sighed. "My wife is too compassionate," she muttered, more to herself than Carina, but Carina still shrugged and responded. "She shouldn't say things like that."

"Makes her a good psychologist, I suppose."

"Ruins our kids, though. Anytime I try to teach them something, they somehow turn it around on me." She turned a frown on Carina. "Speaking of which, remind me again why you aren't taking my class?"

Carina averted her gaze. "I just don't find it interesting, that's all." Noting her aunt's hurt expression, she quickly added, "And I already know most of it because of Aunt Paige."

Elara still looked doubtful. "Sirius got upset the other day because someone likened him to Siri on an iPhone, and he didn't understand the insult."

Carina stared blankly at her, and Elara let out another long-suffering sigh.

"I think we'll take a trip into the Muggle world this summer," said Elara thoughtfully.

"Not the zoo again," Carina moaned, remembering the last incident involving Regulus and an overly friendly lion.

Elara chuckled. "No, I've learned my lesson on that one," she agreed. "But it'll teach you about Muggles, since you refuse to take my class."

"I'm not looking forward to it," said Carina wryly, but she smiled a little to take the edge off it. She didn't think it really worked, but Elara said nothing more, only giving her another squeeze and leaving her to study again.

Bent over her book, with her brother's laughter in the background, Carina wished she knew how to be affable with other people, too.

* * *

When James stepped off the train with a hat pulled low on his head, Harry thought his eldest son was copying him until he noticed the orange locks peeking out from beneath the hat. He smirked as James reached him.

"You look like a Weasley," he teased, knowing how defensive James was of his hair.

James scowled. " _Thanks_ , Dad."

"He was making fun of Mary," Al informed Harry, already pushing his trolley toward the barrier. Lily ran to catch up with him, demanding all of the details of his year since Christmas, and James and Harry trailed after them.

"Where's Mum?" asked James.

Harry shoved his hands into his pockets, shortening his stride to stay with James but keeping an eye on Al and Lily ahead of them. "She has a report due later today. She sends – and I quote – her regrets, her love, and a million treacle tarts in apology, but please don't bother her or I'll have to arrest her for filicide."

"She procrastinated again, didn't she?" said James wisely, if a bit cheekily.

"A lesson I hope you take to heart, son."

James only smirked. Harry glanced at him, wondering if he should reverse the hair charm, when James mused aloud, "We should make hats a trend."

Harry's brows lifted, brushing against the ball cap he wore. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I won't deny that our hair is distinctive…" James sounded a bit proud of this fact. "It won't be so noticeable if everyone wears hats, though. And maybe we won't always have to wear charms that way."

Harry smiled at him. "Maybe you're onto something, Jay."

When James glanced up at him, blue eyes dancing and lips rising into a smile that was reminiscent of Ginny, Harry's heart nearly burst with happiness for possibly the millionth time since the war.

* * *

 **AN:** For anyone wondering about the Black family, I'll give you another hint. Claire, the kids' grandmother, was born in 1945. I don't think Harry's godfather, Sirius, would have two kids with her in the 1970s.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

As soon as he saw the Malfoy boy next to his daughter, Ron transfigured a tree branch into a shot gun, momentarily forgetting that it would be much easier to kill the boy with a wand.

"Ron, don't!" Hermione cried, stepping in between him and the children.

Harry grabbed the gun out of Ron's hands. "It wouldn't work, anyway," he said. "There's no trigger or bullet."

He set the gun on the ground and changed it into a snake. Ron watched the snake, hoping it would slither toward Scorpius and bite him, but instead it went up to Regulus, who jumped and yelled, "Sirius!"

Sirius flew down from the game, easily dodging a wayward Bludger as he went to help his younger brother. Ron felt a little wistful watching them. His own older brothers hadn't been so protective of him, or even of Ginny really.

His daughter's laugh drew his attention back to her. Scorpius was grinning, too.

"Ron." Hermione put a hand on his arm. "He's nothing like his father. I promise."

"I'm standing right here, you know," said Draco.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "Merlin, you really are. I thought you were a ghost."

"Dinnertime!" Ginny called from the house.

Ron looked toward her in horror. He remembered vividly the last time that Ginny had cooked for him. Until then, he hadn't thought someone could burn soup. Harry's rigidly polite smile as he complimented her indicated that burned food wasn't uncommon, either. Later that night Ron had entered the kitchen to see Harry and the four children hiding in the pantry as they ate snacks. He had been hasty to join them.

"She didn't make it," Harry assured him, noticing Ron's expression. "We ordered pizza."

Rose and Scorpius stood as Al landed beside them, windswept and grinning as he proudly displayed the Snitch to them. James had been playing as a Chaser so that neither team would have a disproportionate advantage.

They followed the children into the dining room, which had been magically expanded to accommodate all of the guests. Ron was pleased to see that Rose sat next to Lily, and Al separated her from Scorpius.

"If he breaks her heart," he murmured to Hermione, "I swear I'll…"

"Do nothing," Ginny said as she swept by them. "Rose can handle it on her own."

"They really are dating?" Ron asked in horror.

Hermione sighed. "No, they're not, Ronald."

He was only slightly reassured. She might be Headmistress, but even Dumbledore had missed a few things happening in the school. At least, Ron hoped that was the reason Dumbledore had allowed so many students to bully Harry in their second year. After all, Hermione had put a stop to it when she found out some people were mocking James for being a Potter in Slytherin.

"Uncle Ron?"

He jumped and looked at his nephew and godson. "Merlin, James! You shouldn't sneak up on people."

James grinned in response. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me with something," he confided. "Dad said I can have the Map if I can break into his office like a true Marauder."

"James, my boy," Ron said, wrapping an arm around James' shoulders like he'd seen Slughorn do with Harry, "let me tell you about our new line of products."

Unnoticed by Ron, Rose mouthed a 'thank you' to James.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to get into his father's office. Harry had even told James that the Map was held in the safe, and all James had to do was guess the password, which was the year his parents got married.

"That was disappointing," said Sirius once they were in James' room.

James spread the map out on his bed and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

"Music to my ears," chimed a voice from the doorway.

He glanced up and immediately relaxed. "Hey, Uncle George."

"Don't worry, I think I was the only one who noticed you two leaving," said George, sitting beside him to peer at the map. "Well, Harry might've. You can never really tell with him. Or Ginny. Basically, your parents are unpredictable."

"Must be a family thing," muttered Sirius, glaring at James, who grinned unrepentantly.

"Mr. Ron helped us," said Regulus. He sat on the floor with Snuffles, occasionally rolling a ball for the dog to chase and bring back. "That Lock Pick Set is really cool, by the way."

"Thanks," George said, looking at him a little bemusedly.

It took James a moment to remember that George had met the Black family only a handful of times. Very few people actually knew about them. Claire had been very good at hiding her children from the world.

"We need a different name for it, though," George continued. "Lock Pick Set is horribly unimaginative."

"Don't ask Mum," James advised.

The entire family had learned their lesson on letting Ginny name their pets when they got Snuffles eight years ago.

"Oh believe me, I know," George said solemnly. "Speaking of which, she's looking for… Reg, was it? She wants him and Louis to meet."

Regulus scowled. "Regulus," he corrected. He didn't like anyone but people close to him using the nickname.

"Best go on, Reg," said Sirius. "It'll be good for you to know someone before you go to school."

Once George and Regulus had left, James and Sirius bent over the map again. It would take a long time for them to figure out how to update it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

"You're in the newspaper again," said Draco as his wife walked into the dining room.

Astoria took the seat next to him. The table was ornate, but not the same elaborate one that Voldemort had once sat at. Draco and his mother had thrown that one out while Lucius was serving his short sentence in prison. From then on, none of them sat at the head of the table unless they were hosting a large party.

"I'm a writer," said Astoria. "Of course I'm in the paper."

His expression tightened. "This time they're attacking Scorpius."

"What? Let me see!"

The paper was yanked out of his hands so vigorously that it nearly ripped in half. Draco watched apprehensively as she read.

"Using our son to further our agenda?" Astoria spluttered.

"Keep going," he murmured in reply.

They sat in silence for a long moment while he watched her anxiously. Astoria could have a very nasty temper when anyone harmed the people she loved.

"A Time-Turner?" she cried. "Do they not understand _anything_ about magic?"

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "Apparently not."

She threw the paper to the table and slammed her hand against it. " _Please_ tell me you're not involved in some conspiracy to develop a new Time-Turner."

"I'm not," he assured her.

Astoria eyed him for a little longer and then sighed, leaning back in her chair. His work in the Department of Mysteries was very secretive, but he always avoided answering instead of lying to his wife the few times that she questioned him.

"Mum? Dad?"

Startled, Draco turned to see their daughter framed in the doorway. Her hair was rumpled from sleep and she still wore her pajamas. He hadn't expected her to wake up so early in the morning. She usually slept even later than Scorpius.

"Lia, darling," said Astoria, straightening. "What are you doing up?"

"I wanted to be the first one to tell Scor 'happy birthday,' but he's not up yet," Lia pouted.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Aurelia Narcissa Malfoy, did you wake your brother up on his birthday?"

"She did," Scorpius grumbled as he nudged Lia out of his way and slouched into a chair. "It's not even nine yet."

"Happy twelfth birthday!" she replied brightly.

However, Scorpius' attention was drawn to the paper that still lay on the table.

"Is that my name?" he asked, tilting his head to read it better.

Draco was quick to snatch up the paper. Holding it so that Scorpius couldn't see the page with the article, Draco touched his wand to the newspaper and said, " _Incendio_."

Scorpius watched as the ashes fell to the table, his brows knitted. Guilt pinched at Draco's stomach. He hated to keep things from his children, but he would do anything to protect them.

"Who wants breakfast?" asked Astoria loudly.

Scorpius wrenched his eyes from the remains of the paper, which Draco hastily cleared away.

"Can we have cake?"

"With ice cream?" added Lia.

Scorpius glared at her. "It's _my_ birthday."

She crossed her arms. "You picked my dinner last time."

"Because you were being indecisive!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Children," Draco said in a warning tone, and they quietened for only a moment before Scorpius spoke again.

"But can we?" He looked at Draco, his blue eyes, inherited from Astoria, wide and begging. "And can Al and Rose come by later?"

Astoria tilted her head. "Rose? Is she the Weasley girl you mentioned?"

"She's his girlfriend," Lia sang.

"No she's not!"

Draco felt queasy at the thought. He did not want his family dinners to include any Weasley. It was bad enough seeing them at Al's parties. He had only gone to the summer social at the Potter's house because Scorpius insisted on it.

"Of course they can," Astoria said, unaware of Draco's inner turmoil. "We'll have cake and ice cream then. For now, how about we have a normal breakfast?"

Neither child looked pleased at this deal, but a stern glance from Draco kept them quiet. He called for the house-elf, which took their breakfast requests and returned with the food extremely promptly.

Later that afternoon, Scorpius ran out to meet Al and Rose. The three immediately disappeared, and Draco knew he wouldn't see his son again until dinner time.

"Thanks for letting Rosie come, too," said Harry.

Draco sighed. "She's one of the better Weasleys," he muttered, to which Harry smiled. "Are you staying?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I just got called to work."

"So tell them no."

"I can't-"

"Potter."

Harry stopped and stared at him.

"Rest a little," Draco advised. "Otherwise I'm going to get Aries, and we'll kidnap you if you decide to work."

A flicker of a smile crossed Harry's face, and he minutely relaxed. "You know Malfoy, sometimes I think I might like you."

Draco raised one eyebrow. "Why wouldn't you? I'm wonderful."

"Wonderfully annoying," said Astoria, coming into the entrance hall. "Stop loitering Harry, and get in here."

Such a demand could never be denied by Draco, and Harry seemed to have the same problem of resistance.

* * *

 **AN:** I just love the idea of Draco having a daughter and breaking the 'one Malfoy heir/son' trend. Lia is four years younger than Scorpius and that's why she wasn't seen at the station. (Sometimes parents won't take their younger children to extremely crowded places.)


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

The paparazzi seemed to have given up on catching the Potters unawares this year. Al clutched at the necklace he wore. Luna had charmed it to last even longer than the disillusionment spell Draco had created; so long as Al was touching the amulet, no one would notice him. She had given one to each of the Potter children as a gift. Hermione, though disbelieving at first, immediately requested a set for Rose and Hugo when she found out it worked.

Rose kept a hand firmly on the back of Al's robes as he pushed through the students on the train. People looked around in confusion as he elbowed past them. Safety from the chaos was almost within reach; ahead of him, Al could see the compartment that James and Sirius had claimed. Both Regulus and Louis were already there.

Al yanked the door open and almost fell into the compartment because of the crush of people outside it. All of the occupants except for James looked up quizzically until Rose closed the door and both of them released their amulets, letting them appear. Al dropped into the seat beside Louis with a sigh of relief.

"Now _that's_ cool," said Louis admiringly, eyeing Al's necklace. "Where can I get one?"

The door slid open again before Al could respond, and Scorpius poked his head in.

"Got room for us?" Scorpius asked, gesturing to Violet who was standing on her toes to peer over his shoulder.

Rose tilted her head. "It's only been three weeks since we last saw you. How did you grow _again_?"

James leaned around Louis to poke at Al. "Oh, don't complain Rosie. Al here is already taller than me."

Al couldn't resist a smug smile. Though they were otherwise nearly identical, James had inherited Ginny's shortness with Harry's slightness. It made him ideal for the Seeker position.

"If any of you complain about your height, I will smack you," said Violet, pushing Scorpius into the compartment and closing the door after them. Then she squeezed in next to Rose while Al scooted over to create room for Scorpius.

"I don't think these compartments were meant to hold so many people," muttered Sirius, who was pushed against the window with Regulus pressed close to him.

"I think it's cozy," said Louis, wiggling around until he could drape his arms over James and Al's shoulders.

In a rare moment of having the same mind, Al and James both elbowed their cousin.

"There _has_ to be an expansion charm for this," Rose said with a gleam in her eye.

Al felt a little sorry for Scorpius, who would undoubtedly get dragged to the library. Hermione often made her children find their own answers rather than simply telling them. Ginny had tried it, too, but gave up because Al was the only one to even open a book, and it was often a book that had nothing to do with his question. The only time any of the Potter children had actively researched something was when they were trying to figure out why people were so obsessed with their father.

The carriage ride to the castle wasn't as tight of a fit since Louis and Regulus had to take the boats with the other first-years. Sirius kept glancing back at the Black Lake as they climbed the steps.

James, ever loose with his affection when it came to his family, made a point of hugging Al in front of several people and lightly punched Rose in the arm before all of them went their separate ways. While throwing glares at his brother's retreating back, Al scurried after Violet toward the Ravenclaw table.

Shortly after the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open and Neville led the group of first-years down the aisle. All of them looked terrified except for Regulus, who seemed unruffled. Alex knew that Regulus wasn't actually confident, but simply hid his emotions.

The sorting began. With Regulus being among the first to be called, Al began to create room for him in anticipation. Further down the table Carina sat attentively, her hands poised to clap.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Even Carina was frozen for a moment as Regulus hopped off the stool and headed for his assigned table. Still in line, Louis wore a pained expression. It took an exuberant whoop from Sirius to startle all of them out of their shock, and soon they were able to muster up a somewhat delayed cheer.

The rest of the sorting passed as expected. By the time his own name was called, Louis had recovered and practically skipped as he joined the other Ravenclaw first-years. Though they were separated by the fifth-year prefects and other people, Louis leaned forward and gave a cheerful wave to Al and Victoire.

Violet leaned over to Al and whispered in his ear, "Was that bad or something?"

Al knew she was referring to Regulus.

"No, no," he rushed to say. "Just the most surprising thing since James was put in Slytherin."

She raised one eyebrow, ignoring how Al watched it almost enviously. "I've met your brother. He's about as Slytherin as they come."

Al ruffled his hair. "Yeah, well, we knew it was a huge possibility but we still didn't expect it to actually happen," he said defensively.

When she reached out, he recoiled from her hand; Rose had a tendency to pinch him and James if she thought they were being stupid. Their parents reprimanded her each time they caught her, but she was sly about it and Al felt like he was her favorite victim. Although that might be because he was usually closest to her, and James had an eerie ability to sense an imminent pinching and ran before she could catch him.

Looking amused, Violet only tapped the side of his glasses.

"You're blind, Potter," she said.

Scowling, Al righted his glasses and turned away from her. The female mind was so elusive to him.

* * *

 **AN:** How I imagine their future heights: James – 5'11"; Alex – 6'1"; Lily – 5'5", compared to Ginny's 5'4" and Harry's 6'0".

And extra: Rose – 5'7"; Hugo – 5'10"; Hermione – 5'5"; Ron – 6'2". Scorpius – 5'11"; Lia – 5'5"; Draco – 5'10"; Astoria – 5'6". Teddy – 6'2". Sirius – 5'10"; Regulus – 5'8"; Carina – 5'9"; Aries – 5'10"; Amanda – 5'7".

 **AN2:** A belated Merry Christmas to people who celebrate it, and I hope that everyone has a good year!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I make no claims to ownership.**

"Absolutely, positively not," Violet said firmly when Al begged her to attend the Quidditch try-outs with him. "I'm never taking a broom more than five feet above the ground."

"It's really not that scary," he tried to coax. "You just have to trust the broom."

She snorted. "I think it's more like I have to trust my own skill."

Feeling his shoulders drop in disappointment, Al hitched them up again. He offered a weak smile and was about to say he understood, even if he didn't, when Violet spoke thoughtfully.

"Maybe you could help me? I mean, we only had lessons for the one semester, and I'm sure with some more practice, I could do better."

He blinked and then nodded. "Yeah, I can help. My mum taught me a few tricks."

"Great!" Her grin was breathtaking. "Let me know when you're free. I'm sure you'll make the team."

"Er, thanks," Al said, beginning to back away. Then he turned around so she wouldn't see his confusion and embarrassment.

"Good luck!" Violet called after him.

At her words, a light step developed in his walk, and he waved a hand to her in acknowledgement as he hurried down to the pitch where the try-outs were being held. Somehow her confidence in him eased some of his nerves.

Only a few people were gathered on the pitch. Except for the reserve positions, Ravenclaw had a full team made up of older students. He lifted his chin when he noticed all of them looking at him. No one would be able to say he got onto the team because of the Potter name. He'd been training with his mother and Rose all summer.

"Alright," the Captain, a tall girl named Kara Chang, said, tearing her gaze from Al. "Since our Seeker has decided that O.W.L.s are more important than Quidditch, that position is now open. We're also looking to fill reserve spots for the Keeper and a Chaser. Of course, you may try out for the other positions as well. If you're better than a current team member, then the position is yours."

Al did a double-take as he finally noticed that Carina was missing from the group. For a brief moment, he considered trying out for the Seeker position instead, but then he decided he didn't want to directly compete with James. His brother would likely let him win, which would only be more embarrassing.

Kara first had them do a few laps around the stadium, and Al's stomach initially fell, as it always did, as he rose into the air. Then it settled again, and with a grin, Al accelerated to keep pace with the current Chaser. After that, he was paired with another potential recruit. Together they had to toss the Quaffle back and forth as they flew across the field and then try to get the ball past the Keeper into one of the goals.

Al had just made another goal when Kara called them to a stop.

"Potter, I want you to catch one of these," she said, holding up a golden golf ball.

He knew where she was going with this.

"Okay," he mumbled reluctantly. He had hardly any training as a Seeker, so it was easy to predict how this trial would end.

Al got the tiny golf ball not even a third of the time when she made it zip through the air. He wanted to cover his face with his hands when they landed back on the ground. While he waited with the other potential recruits, Kara gathered with the rest of the team. From a distance, he watched her hands flutter through the air as she spoke, and an empty feeling formed in his stomach. Finally, she returned with the other team members following behind her.

"We've reached a decision," she announced. "Sean Hilliard is going to be the Seeker. Alex Potter will be the reserve Chaser and Gary Carmichael will be the Keeper."

Despite not trying to get his hopes up, Al was disappointed by the results. When Kara dismissed them, he slinked away and used the secret passages to reach the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" asked the eagle knocker.

"I don't know," Al said miserably.

"Footsteps," another voice stated clearly from behind him.

"Correct," the knocker said.

As the door swung open, Al turned to thank his savior. His heart nearly exploded out of his chest when he saw it was Kara. Her eyes narrowed, eyebrows pulling down in concern.

"You left before I could tell you," she said in a low tone. "You actually did better than anyone else, but I couldn't show any favoritism. I think with some more training, you'll blow the others out of the water. If you do well this year, then you'll definitely have the position next year."

A comfortable warmth gathered in Al's face.

"I'll make sure of it!" he said earnestly.

She grinned widely. "Then I look forward to seeing what you do," she said.

Al followed her into the Common Room, which was buzzing with activity. Spotting Violet, he immediately headed toward her. She noticed his approach and scooted forward in her chair as he sat across from her.

"Well?" she asked eagerly.

"I made the reserves!" he responded happily.

Her brows pulled together. "And that's… a good thing?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling. "I don't mind. I know I'll make the team next year."

He decided not to ask why Violet was biting the inside of her cheek.

* * *

It was not a secret that Instructor Finnigan-Thomas was watching the group of first-years for a Gryffindor that could be the new Seeker. Despite having Mary, Lucy, and Roxanne Weasley on the team, they had still lost to Slytherin in the previous year. James Potter, it seemed, was impossible to beat. He had an instinct for catching the Snitch that rendered any goals from the Chasers a moot point.

Regulus actually knew that for a fact. Even at a young age, James had been a natural flier, and with extra training from Viktor Krum, a professional Seeker, he had become a prodigy. Regulus wasn't going to even attempt to compete with him. Besides, even though he enjoyed flying, Regulus had no interest in playing Quidditch.

When the first match of the year rolled around, it was Gryffindor against Ravenclaw since the Headmistress decided to stop the tradition of it being the two biggest rival Houses. Regulus didn't care either way, so he was surprised to see Louis pop up in the Gryffindor section of the stands with his face covered in blue and bronze paint.

"Popcorn?" Louis offered, holding the bucket out to Regulus, who eyed it cautiously.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Victoire made it," said Louis. "Apparently she's figured out how to circumvent Gamp's Law. I've stopped asking questions."

Regulus decided this was a good policy when it came to the Weasley and Potter families and took a large handful of popcorn. To his surprise, it wasn't laced with any sort of Weasley product, and as Louis, along with everyone else around them, went crazy with Quidditch, Regulus finished off the bucket. It tasted just as good as Gryffindor's victory.


End file.
